Prieto signs and joins A's

Published 4:00 am, Friday, June 30, 1995

OAKLAND - After almost a month negotiations, the A's signed their first draft choice, Ariel Prieto, to a one-year contract Thursday.

The Cuban right-hander will be in uniform for Friday night's game against California at the Coliseum.

"We're happy to have him," said general manager Sandy Alderson. "It'll be great to get him into a game."

Prieto, 25, got a work authorization permit from the immigration and naturalization service Friday morning, clearing the last hurdle keeping him from pitching for the A's.

When Prieto got the permit, a roster spot on the A's already was open to him. Jim Corsi went on the disabled list with tendinitis in his right shoulder, retroactive to June 22, and Prieto fills Corsi's spot.

Asked if Prieto could step in to take Corsi's job as middle reliever, Alderson said, "That could be. We don't see him as only a starter."

There are no immediate plans for him to start, since the A's rotation features Steve Ontiveros on Friday, Todd Stottlemyre on Saturday and Mike Harkey on Sunday.

As soon as Prieto joins the A's, he'll be making the minimum major-league salary of $109,000. But his contract is reportedly worth between $1 and $1.5 million, on the strength of a signing bonus.

"This is not a typical transaction," Alderson said of the Prieto contract. "It's a very complicated situation."

All month the A's have been following Prieto's progress with the Palm Springs team of the independent Western League. By the end of last week he was 4-0 with an 0.96 earned-run average, with seven walks and 49 strikeouts in 37 innings.

Prieto, who came to the United States on April 7, was 11-0 for the Cuban national team and once struck out 20 in a game. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound pitcher gained immediate attention after being picked by the A's as the No. 5 choice in the June 2 amateur draft.&lt;